Brett 'Bert' Kenny

  • Playing Career

Playing Career

Vital Statistics

Full Name
Brett Edward Kenny
Nickname(s)
Bert
Born
Thursday, 16th March, 1961
Current Age
63 years and 3 days
Place Of Birth
Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia

Awards & Accolades

Clive Churchill Medal
1982, 1983
Golden Boot Award
1985
Lance Todd Trophy
1985
Dally M Representative Player Of The Year
1986
National Rugby League Hall Of Fame
2008
NSWRL Hall Of Fame
2021

Biography

One of the most naturally gifted players to emerge during the modern era, Brett Kenny possessed cat-like anticipation, dazzling acceleration and a great step. The son of Australian Baseball rep Alan Kenny scored two tries in a hat-trick of grand final wins for P’matta (1981-83) and played in 17 Tests for Australia before standing down from Test duty in 1988. The Guildford junior was graded with the Eels in 1980 and was partnering Mick Cronin in the centres before the end of the year. Linking with halfback Peter Sterling, Kenny formed a classic combination at the scrumbase with the pair playing in five grand finals (1981-84 & 1986). He made his debut for NSW in 1982 and his brilliant form on the Kangaroo tour kept vice-captain Wally Lewis out of the Test line-ups. Kenny played in all six Tests on tour against Papua New Guinea, Great Britain and France but from 1984, the remainder of his Test career was played in the centres with Lewis at pivot and captain. English fans saw Kenny at his absolute best during his stay with Wigan in 1985. He scored another double in the club's win over Hull in the Challenge Cup final and became the first Australian player to win the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match. (Champion Great Britain winger Billy Boston lauded him as the finest player he had seen - high praise indeed). Kenny's clashes with Wally Lewis during 17 interstate matches in the early years of State of Origin football became legendary and the pair was featured on the Winfield State of Origin trophy. In the 1986 grand final against C’bury, Kenny was again twice across the line but could not force the ball. P’matta won their fourth premiership, 4-2, and at seasons’ end Kenny toured with the Kangaroos for a second time. In 1986 he won the Adidas 'Golden Boot' for best player in the world but after an unhappy match against NZ in 1987 (in which he carried a neck injury) he stood down from Test duty citing family reasons. While P’matta's fortunes waned in the early 1990s Kenny continued to give great service for the club. In 1991, after moving to lock, he became the first (and still the only) clubman to score 100 tries. Kenny’s inspiring, creative efforts often stood out in a struggling Eels team following the retirement of the club’s star players. The laconic P’matta captain celebrated his testimonial year in 1992 before a shoulder injury suffered in the International Sevens tournament at the beginning of 1993 put plans for a competitive final season on hold. He recovered to finish the season and if his form was not exactly ‘vintage Kenny’, he retired as one of the greats of the modern game. After working for FoxSports for several seasons Kenny entered the coaching ranks with Penrith but was released by the club in 2006 before his Jersey Flegg team’s win in the grand final. Autobiography, The Natural (1993).
- ALAN WHITICKER

Playing Career Statistics

All statistics shown in this section are based only on data available in the RLP database, and are not necessarily a complete and/or 100% accurate representation of a player's career. This information should be used as a guide only. If you see a question mark (?), it denotes that the figure is not available.

To view a list of corresponding matches, click on the List button.

Competitions

Competition   App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NRL 265 110 0   - 410 151 109 5 56.98% List
NRL Finals 19 14 -   - 51 14 5 0 73.68% List
State of Origin 17 2 -   - 8 8 9 0 47.06% List
Tour Matches Australia 29 14 -   - 51 28 1 0 96.55% List
Test Series 13 9 -   - 23 13 0 0 100.00% List
The Ashes 8 3 -   - 20 8 0 0 100.00% List
City vs Country Firsts 3 - -   - - 3 0 0 100.00% List
English Championship 18 16 -   - 64 13 4 1 72.22% List
Challenge Cup 5 3 -   - 12 5 0 0 100.00% List
Premiership Trophy 2 - -   - - 1 1 0 50.00% List
National Panasonic Cup 8 12 -   - 41 5 3 0 62.50% List
World Cup 3 2 -   - 8 3 0 0 100.00% List
City vs Country 1 1 -   - 4 1 0 0 100.00% List
Tooheys Challenge Cup 2 2 -   - 8 0 2 0 0.00% List


International

Test Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1982, 1984, 1986-87 17 10 -   - 36 16 1 0 94.12% List

World Cup Matches - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Australia 1982-1986 3 2 -   - 8 3 0 0 100.00% List


Representative

Australia - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
NSW City Seconds 1981 1 - -   - - 1 0 0 100.00% List
NSW 1982-87 17 2 -   - 8 8 9 0 47.06% List
NSW City Firsts 1983-84, 1986 3 - -   - - 3 0 0 100.00% List
NSW City 1987 1 1 -   - 4 1 0 0 100.00% List
Overall1981-1987 22 3 0   0 12 13 9 0 59.09% List


Club Career

NRL/NSWRL - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Parramatta NSWRFL 1980 8 1 -   - 3 3 4 1 37.50% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1981 25 14 -   - 42 17 7 1 68.00% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1982 29 15 -   - 45 23 6 0 79.31% List
Parramatta NSWRFL 1983 29 21 -   - 84 20 9 0 68.97% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1984 24 7 -   - 28 17 7 0 70.83% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1985 14 7 -   - 28 9 5 0 64.29% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1986 22 11 -   - 44 15 6 1 68.18% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1987 14 6 -   - 24 8 6 0 57.14% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1988 2 1 -   - 4 2 0 0 100.00% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1989 21 9 -   - 36 11 10 0 52.38% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1990 19 4 -   - 16 10 8 1 52.63% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1991 22 6 -   - 24 6 16 0 27.27% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1992 22 4 0 / 2 0.00% - 16 6 15 1 27.27% List
Parramatta NSWRL 1993 14 4 -   - 16 4 10 0 28.57% List

NRL/NSWRL - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Parramatta 1980-93 265 110 -   - 410 151 109 5 56.98% List

English Career - By Year

Team Season App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Wigan 1984/85 25 19 -   - 76 19 5 1 76.00% List

English Career - By Team

Team Years App T G   GK % FG Pts W L D Win %  
Wigan 1984 25 19 -   - 76 19 5 1 76.00% List

Your Say

  • Costa
    26/10/2017

    Aside from King Wally, Brett Kenny is argueably the greatest five eighth ever to play the game

  • Anonymous
    06/07/2018

    Should be an immortal..kept an immortal on the bench. Could play anywhere in the backs, wally lewis could only play at 6. Better than lockyer.

  • Costas
    07/08/2018

    Absolute champion player second to Wally Lewis as the best number 6 in the 80s. Somewhat unlucky not to get a nomination as an Immortal.

  • Anonymous
    05/10/2018

    My favourite player of all time always spoken about his brilliant attack but in my opinion he was a great defence five eight with a copy book tackling style

  • richard
    10/10/2018

    One of the best,if not the best..............

    Speed,balance and timing..brilliant.

    Brett and Wally Lewis the best to play for Australia in their positions.

  • Jason Mac
    11/12/2018

    Brett Kenny in his prime is in my opinion the best big match player rugby league has seen. Without doubt Parramattas winning grand finals 1981 1982 1983 he was clearly the best player on the field.
    If is also a champion off the field.

  • Anonymous
    02/04/2019

    Brett Kenny should already be a immortal everything he did in rugby league turned to gold.

  • no mates
    15/02/2020

    should be an immortal i would pick him ahead of the junkie any day . but then Burt dose not work for channel 9.

  • Tom
    25/03/2020

    Best ever player in rugby league

  • Lewis Waters
    17/06/2020

    A true champion. Always got the better of Wally Lewis

  • Anonymous
    12/09/2021

    One of the best Rugby League Players ever and. Top bloke

  • Anonymous
    10/10/2021

    Should already be a immortal

  • Anonymous
    15/10/2021

    Brett kenny was definitely better then wally lewis look at his premierships and his club career with parramatta. His rep career was amazing especially when he played for nsw and he alway played better then wally lewis did for his state. I dont understand why brett kenny is not a immortal yet.

  • Peter James Ryan
    25/10/2021

    The most brilliant player I saw play live and close up on those fantastic Sydney suburban grounds that are great for watching football, and I saw many standout players, but this guy was something special.

  • Matt Latte
    17/05/2022

    Brett Kenny is still the greatest player I've ever seen. He should have been an Immortal by now. He was the embodiment of poetry in motion. By age 25 he had achieved it all - Played in 5 GF's, won 4 GF's. Won the Challenge Cup and Lance Todd trophy, first Australian player ever to do it. Won the Golden Boot for 1985, how he did not win it for the 1986 season I'll never know. Was retrospectively awarded the CCM for the 82 and 83 GF's. Went on two unbeaten Kangaroo tours displacing Wally Lewis in 82 and Mal Meninga in 86, both now Immortals. Played in every State of Origin match from the time he debuted until he stopped playing. NSW won both series where he was picked at five eighth for all three games. Ended up scoring over 100 tries for the Eels once his career finished.

  • JD
    20/06/2023

    What a champion!The greatest 5/8 -centre to have ever played the game.He could play both positions at the highest level and could never be outclassed.The skill of this man was unbelievable. He played in the greatest of sides and always shone brightest.All hail the other king.Sir Brett Kenny.

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Contributions: Andrew Ferguson, Rugby League Tables, AJ Lucantonio, Paul Carter, Shawn Dollin, Greg Fiveash, Steven Russo, Alan Katzmann, Max Turner, Bill Bates

Sources: NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1989-90, Match Video, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1987-88, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1988-89, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1990-91, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1991-92, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1992-93, NSWRL Rugby League Yearbook 1994, Irvin Saxton's Record Keepers' Club, Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1985-86